Chhatra Shena to file case against TV show hosts

Islami Chhatra Shena is suspecting that seven Islamic TV show hosts are involved in planning the murder of Nurul Islam Farooqi.

Golam Mujtaba Dhrubobdnews24.com
Published : 30 August 2014, 08:48 PM
Updated : 31 August 2014, 05:16 AM

They are also planning to file a case against them, the organisation's Dhaka city unit Secretary Imran Hossain Tushar told bdnews24.com on Saturday.

After a press conference at their Fakirapool office, he told our correspondent, "Chhatra Shena is preparing to file a murder case against seven TV show hosts for planning and ordering the murder of Maolana Nurul Islam Farooqi."

These men are ATN Bangla hosts Arakanullah Haruni and Tarek Monwar, RTV host Khalid Saifullah Bakshi, SA TV's Kefayetullah and Mustafizur Rahman, Banglavision's Mokhtar Ahmed and Desh TV's Mufti Ibrahim.

Chhatra Shena's central President Md Nurul Haque Chishti was also present during the interview.

Nurul Islam Farooqi

Islami Front presidium member Farooqi was the host of two Islamic programmes on Channel i. He was a central leader of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat.
The family has already filed a case after his murder.
The family believes religious fundamentalists are behind the crime. They say Wahhabists may have been behind it.
Farooqi's followers say those who slit Farooqi's throat in his home on Wednesday night had said this was his punishment for 'Shirk' and 'Bid'ah' (idolatry and heresy).
Imran said he attended a meeting at an ATN Bangla Studio led by Arakanullah Haruni where the aforementioned men vented their hatred for Farooqi.
The meeting was called to propose an 'association of Islamic media personalities'.
"Jamaat Rukan Tarek Manwar, Khalid Saifullah, Mokhtar Ahmed and some others were present," Imran said.
"Tarek Manwar was saying, if they were united they could kill the 'shiriki' and 'bid'ati' men like Farooqi."
Mokhtar Ahmed was also saying he wanted to silence Farooqi, Imran claimed.
"One TV show host, Shahidullah, tried to speak for Farooqi but Tarek Manwar shouted him down," he said.
Imran said after the meeting he had gone to Farooqi to warn him, who had said he feared no one but Allah.
Asked about Imran's allegations, Khaled Saifullah admitted to the meeting and confirmed that Imran was present there.
He also said that Osman Salehi, Kafiluddin Sarkar Salehi and Maolana Shahidullah, known to be adherents of Farooqi's ideology, were also present there.
He rejected Imran's allegations, saying they had gathered at the studio that day to discuss forming an organisation and had no other intentions.
"Why are they alleging now after so many days that we were conspiring? Is it believable that 20 Alims sat at a TV studio and conspired to murder?" he countered.
"They (Chhatra Shena) are acting like fools. This will allow the real culprits to elude justice," he said.
The law enforcement agencies have said that religious dissent is the first motive that they are investigating. Three men have been arrested in suspicion of involvement in the crime.
Chhatra Shena leader Imran said, "Maolana Farooki was murdered because of ideological conflicts. Jamaat-leaning men planned the murder. Maybe they weren't there physically but they hatched the plan."